Mariano Navone vs. Ben Shelton, for the Madrid Masters 1000: 'Navone' will try to break an overwhelming record against the Argentine executioner.

Four Argentines will take to the court this Friday at the Madrid Masters 1000 , one of the last major stops on the clay-court tour that serves as preparation for Roland Garros . The biggest challenge—at least on paper—will be Mariano Navone , who will face Ben Shelton , an opponent who won both of his previous matches and who has become a "executioner" of Argentine players in recent years.

The American, ranked 13th in the world, has a ten-match winning streak against Argentines , nine of them in ATP Tour tournaments. He'll look to extend that dominance when he faces the 9 de Julio native in a duel scheduled for the fourth round—around 10:30 a.m.—at Stadium 3 of the Caja Mágica .

Shelton, 22, beat Navone for the first time last year, in the round of 16 of the ATP 500 in Tokyo , with a solid 6-4 and 6-3. He beat him again in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells , in early March, 6-3 and 6-2. Their match in Madrid will be the first time the two have played on clay.

The Buenos Aires native is one of six Argentines who have been defeated at least once by the American.

The first was Román Burruchaga , in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Little Rock Challenger , the only of the American's victories against Argentine opponents outside of the most important men's tennis circuit. At the time, Shelton was 19 years old, ranked 547th, and taking his first steps into the professional ranks.

Starting Strong 💪 @BenShelton kicks off his campaign with a 6-3 6-2 win over Mariano Navone 🔥 #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/wHD5qz353w

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 9, 2025

The one who suffered the most was Tomás Etcheverry , who lost all three matches in his history, all last season. In the semifinals of the ATP 250 in Houston , on slow courts, in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and in the first round of the 500 in Basel , both on hard surfaces.

Shelton also defeated Francisco Cerúndolo twice, in the third round of Indian Wells 2024 and in the semifinals of Munich last week. "It's a big win for me. Winning on clay against someone like him gives me a lot of confidence," he said after the celebration that put him in the final, where he then lost to Alexander Zverev .

The other two Argentines on the American's list of losses are Sebastián Báez and Pedro Cachin . He defeated the Buenos Aires native in his debut at the 2023 Auckland 250m , and the Cordoba native in the first round of the US Open that same year, where he ended up reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

This Friday, Navone will have the chance to avenge himself and his countrymen. Although it won't be an easy task.

Fourth ATP Tour final ✅ @BenShelton claims another great clay court win as he defeats Francisco Cerundolo 2-6 7-6 6-4 in Munich 💪 #BMWOpen pic.twitter.com/JuTQEVAWsc

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2025

The Argentine, ranked 85th in the world, is having an inconsistent season. His best result was the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires , the only tournament in which he managed to score two consecutive victories. On the European clay court tour, he lost in his second appearance in Bucharest, in the first round of Monte Carlo (after qualifying), and in the second round of Munich. But he got off to a good start in Madrid, with a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard , ranked 37th.

The American, who received a bye in the first round as the 12th seed, is having his best year yet. He reached the Australian Open semifinal (losing to champion Jannik Sinner ) and is coming off a stunning performance in Munich, where he excelled on a surface he doesn't favor and came within one win of the title.

This Friday's Argentine action will be completed by performances by the Cerúndolo brothers and Francisco Comesaña .

Francisco , seeded 20th and the only national representative who was left bye in the initial round, will face in the first shift - starting at 6 - the Frenchman Harold Mayot , 160th and coming from the qualy, who defeated his compatriot Corentin Moutet in the debut by 6-3, 4-2 and abandonment.

The Buenos Aires native, having had a very strong season, reached the semi-finals in Munich last week and could climb back into the top 20—he's 21st—after Madrid. To have a chance, he'll need to reach at least the quarter-finals.

His brother Juan Manuel will clash, around 8, with the Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime , 18th seed. Located in the 126th place in the rankings and coming from the qualifiers, he started the main draw with a 3-6, 7-5 and 6-2 victory over the American Aleksandar Kovacevic , 77th, his first in a Masters 1000 since Miami 2022 .

Comesaña , meanwhile, will open the action on Court 4 - also at 6 - against Frenchman Arthur Fils , seeded 13th and a semifinalist last week in Barcelona.

The Mar del Plata native, ranked 70th, defeated Spaniard Pedro Martínez , ranked 48th, by a double 6-4, and celebrated his first victory in a tournament of this category, the second most important after the Grand Slams, in which he is playing only his second main draw, after the one in Miami in March.

In a day with many attractive matches, the highlights will include those between top-seeded German Alexander Zverev and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut; third-seeded American Taylor Fritz against Australian Christopher O'Connell; and seventh-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev , defending champion, against Frenchman Gael Monfils.